Halfway to Anywhere
by cerulean hue
Summary: Two young lovers are forbidden to see one another; running away seems to be the only solution. The empty town of Silent Hill seems to be the perfect place for them to live a life together, but it won't be long before its hidden terrors consume them. R&R!
1. Innocence

It seems I can never write a non-romantic story, even when it comes to Silent Hill. Oh, well.

Due to the fact that I intend this story to be rather lengthy, it will not begin in Silent Hill, so please don't read the first chapter and write a review such as "omg you suck, what does this have to do with Silent Hill?" Patience is a virtue.

I was inspired for this story by a total of three things: Silent Hill, _The Notebook _(both film and novel), and Evanescence's song, "Anywhere" from their Origin album. A strange mix, I'll admit, but the ideas in my head are flowing together very well.

I do not promise anything when it comes to this story -- I can't even promise that I'll get past the third chapter. Those who are familiar with my work know that I start on something full-speed, and then quickly drop it to move onto something else. Easily distracted, yes.

Also, I do not own nor do I claim any affiliation with Silent Hill, Konami, or Sony. Further, I do not own or claim any affiliation with Nicholas Sparks, New Line Cinema, or the creators of the film _The Notebook_. And finally, I do not own or claim any affiliation with Evanescence or Wind-up Records. All companies and affiliates mentioned were used simply for inspiration.

Onto the story.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I n n o c e n c e

"_Never again_." Her mother's words echoed in Lilly's head as she reached to her nightstand, taking hold of a silver picture frame, holding it to her face. Smiling back at her from behind the glass were her mother and herself, two summers ago when they'd visited a national park. They'd asked the tour guide to take the photo for them, as of course, it had only been the two of them. For years, it had only been the two of them - just Lilly and her mother - since she was six years old, after her father left them in that tiny apartment that she could barely even visualize anymore, seeming to forget a piece of it each time she brought it back to memory. She'd been so young then, and hadn't been able to understand the concept of her mommy and daddy fighting, let alone the concept of their marriage ending. All she could remember from that night was watching her father grab his coat and head for the door, and as he'd turned the handle, she'd quietly asked if he was going out for ice cream, and if he'd bring some back for her. He didn't respond .. but turned his head to look at her through the dark -- they hadn't paid the bill that month -- and to this day, she swore he smiled at her. Just a smile in the dark from her father before he was gone. That was all she could remember of him, as she'd never seen him after.

"_Do you understand, Lillian? I can't let you see him anymore, you're in way over your head_." The rage she'd expected to hear in her mother's voice had been completely absent; she'd sounded reluctant, as if she were sorry to be saying what she'd called Lilly into the living room to say. "I know you care about him, but don't you see all the risks you're taking?" And, oddly enough, her mother hadn't been talking about getting pregnant or contracting some kind of disease like most mothers would have. Rather, she was more concerned about Lilly being abandoned, just as her father had done. After all, how serious could a nineteen year-old boy's intentions really be for a seventeen year-old high school senior? Certainly he wasn't planning on proposing marriage, and even if he were, it wasn't as if he'd follow through - he'd find some other girl to be interested in when she'd least expect it and leave her all alone, walking out the door without a word, just like her father.

Those were her mother's beliefs. The loss of her husband had made a cynic out of the woman, paranoid and stone-hearted. Lilly couldn't even remember the last time her mother had been out on a date, and she certainly had never heard her mother talk of being in love with someone. It was as though all the love in her heart had walked out with the man she'd married, and just as impossible to get back again. Though Lilly didn't know, her mother had received a single letter from him a year after he'd left, wishing her the best of luck in life and hoping she'd grow to forgive him, but that he no longer wished to be associated with her or their daughter in any way. He'd requested that she revert to her maiden name and do the same for Lilly as well, and he'd be changing his name too, so they wouldn't ever be able to find him. The excuse had been that it would hurt too much for any of them to ever come in contact again ..

Though she was still hurt by her father's disappearance, Lilly couldn't forgive her mother's pessimistic attitude towards her relationship with Samuel. It wasn't as though she was the same person as her mother, and Sam certainly wasn't the same person as her father - though, in actuality, she couldn't know if that were true, as she couldn't remember her father's personality any better than she could remember his voice. Still, she believed within the deepest regions of her heart that Sam's intentions were genuine and that he was going to marry her; her mother didn't know, but he'd already given her a ring which she wore on a chain, tucked under the collar of her shirt during the day, and she slipped it off every night and wore it on her finger while she slept. It had been only a month since he'd given her the small silver band, but it seemed to symbolize each of the eighteen months they'd spent together, right up to now, when her mother was more concerned than ever that they were getting too serious. The intensity of the relationship had always mildly concerned her, but with Lilly's confession that they'd lost their virginity to one another just a week ago, she'd promptly decided that it was time to end the relationship between Sam and her daughter.

With a deep breath, Lilly slowly lowered the picture frame to the suitcase that lay open upon her bed, about to set it atop the folded clothes that she'd packed just moments before. She placed it down, and reached forward to close the case before pausing, staring past the glass at her and her mother's smiling faces. It wasn't her mother's fault .. any woman who'd lost the father of her child in such a way would naturally be protective and cautious. But with the teenage years came a rebellious nature, and with that nature, a hint of bitterness, and Lilly was tempted to grab the frame and set it back upon the nightstand. Yet knowing herself, such impulsivity wouldn't benefit her (she was being impulsive enough as it was), as she knew there would be a night when she'd want to look upon her mother's face as homesickness would gradually take hold. Before she could remind herself of the anger at her mother, she quickly shut and fastened the suitcase, letting the picture remain where it lie. After all, it wasn't as though she wanted to forget her mother.

- - -

Samuel ran the rag held within his hand over the engine of the old Caprice and shut the hood, having just checked the oil and general condition of the vehicle's innards. He'd had the car since he turned sixteen, and it certainly wasn't anything lovely to look at, let alone drive. With busted air conditioning, windshield wipers and tape player, numerous dents and scratches and squeaky breaks, the car looked ready to hit the junkyard. But Sam didn't have the money to get a new car, what with his income as a mechanic being his only means of support. All he was able to afford was his apartment, a few groceries a week and minimal upkeep for his car, which all had become more neglected as the time went on, and all because of Lilly. Not that he minded, of course, as he had always been very careful with what money he did have. But ever since their relationship began, he hadn't been able to resist the urge to buy her whatever he could afford, even though she always complained and told him not to spend another cent on her. He supposed that was part of the reason he loved spending money on her; she didn't expect it from him, as many girls often did, and most importantly, it didn't seem to matter to her if he couldn't pay for meals or fancy presents. And though she resisted his generosity, he could tell that she liked everything he happened to get for her. So no matter how much she lectured him about spending money on her, he did it because he knew it made her feel special.

As he made his way around the car, opening the driver's side door to toss the oil rag on the floor of the backseat, he took a glance up at the moon. Many nights, he and Lilly had come out to the lake to watch the night sky, marveling at the moon or counting the stars together, never able to get them all. It had been at that lakeside where they'd slept together for the first time just a little less than a week before, right under the same stars they'd looked upon so many times before. Now that night seemed so far away, what with all the changes that had taken place. He hadn't seen Lilly since the morning after their lovemaking, when she'd told him of her mother's decree that they could no longer see one another. Since then, he'd been working overtime everyday to save money for the voyage they'd agreed to make together - their escape.

A pair of headlights turned into the clearing off from the woods' dirt path where he'd parked, shining into his dark blue eyes as he peered at the vehicle, already knowing exactly who it was. The engine didn't cut off, but the passenger door opened, and out stepped Lilly. He stepped to her side as she opened the back door, holding it open for her as she pulled her suitcase from the backseat, noticing the tears that were falling down her cheeks.

Taking the suitcase from her, he carried it to his Caprice, opening the trunk to settle it inside as Lilly closed the back door of the running car and slipped back into the front passenger seat to give the driver a brief hug. It was their mutual friend, Hannah, who'd agreed to cooperate with the pair; she'd told Lilly's mother that she wanted Lilly to spend the night so she could drive her out to meet Sam, and the two would be off to wherever it was they were going. Hannah didn't think it was fair that the two couldn't be together, and she loved Lilly like a sister, so it was only natural that she'd decided to help when they'd told her of their plans.

"You be careful," Hannah said as she embraced her friend, feeling as if, for some reason, it would be the last time she'd ever see her. "Be sure to write me. You and Sam both."

"We will," Lilly sobbed into the girl's shoulder, then, giving a quick kiss to the girl's cheek, she scrambled out of the car, closing the door and walking over to Sam. He waved to their friend as she quickly backed out of the clearing, speeding back out to the main road, and she returned the wave and gave a short, blunt honk of the horn.

Silently, Sam opened the passenger door for Lilly and she settled into the seat, allowing him to close the door behind her. She watching him through moist eyes as he rounded the car, getting in the driver's side and sticking the keys into the ignition. But before he gave them a turn, he looked over at her, bringing his hand to rest gently at the back of her neck. "We don't have to do this, Lilly," he said softly. "If you want to stay, we'll stay. You'll be eighteen in eleven months; we can wait that long." Concern always filled him when they spoke of running away together, as he knew how much loyalty Lilly felt toward her mother. It had just been the two of them, after all, and leaving her mother alone was something she really didn't want to do, and would probably feel guilty for doing for the rest of her life. In fact, Sam had been surprised how insistent she'd been about the whole thing, constantly assuring him that it was what she wanted, that she needed to be with him and no one, not even her mother, would get in the way. Now, though, she was showing the emotions he'd always known were there, all the guilt and pain at the thought of leaving her mother.

Shaking her head, Lilly looked over at him, wiping a tear from her left eye as she gave a smile. "I made my decision, and it's not going to change, no matter what you say." Placing her hand over his, she gave his fingers a little squeeze. "Let's get going."

They looked at each other for a long while then, as if reliving their time together within their minds and, for the millionth time in a week, weighing the consequences of the actions they were about to take. Their lives would be almost unrecognizable even to them in a matter of days, perhaps even hours. They would be free.

Smiling softly and leaning forward to give her a kiss on the forehead, Sam jerked the key, starting up the engine, and they turned onto the main road.


	2. Lost

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

L o s t

A full night's worth of driving had brought them just barely across the state border by the time the sun was beginning to rise. Sam had been the driver, as Lilly slept with her forehead against the window until he'd pulled her over and settled her head down on his thigh. Just as the sun was peeping over the tops of the surrounding trees, she awoke, sitting up and rubbing her pretty green eyes, giving him a small kiss on the cheek. It wouldn't be long before she'd take over the task of driving so he could get a few hours of sleep; they'd decided early on that she wouldn't drive at night since she wasn't the best of drivers in the first place. Plus his car intimidated her, with its bulk and age and tendency to sputter every so often. A thin layer of perspiration covered her skin with the lack of air conditioning in the late September heat. It wasn't bad, though, as they'd kept the windows rolled down once they'd gotten a good three towns away from home.

"Morning," Sam said, a little late, and reached forward to turn up the volume of the radio which he'd kept down low so as not to wake her. It crackled with static every now and then, but with the tape deck no longer functioning, it was the only source of music they had.

Covering her mouth with her hand, Lilly replied a "good morning" amidst a yawn, propping her feet up on the dashboard as she'd done so many times before. The purple nail polish on her toenails was chipped and faded, and she silently cursed herself for forgetting to fix it before they'd set out, as had originally intended to do. Not that it really mattered to Sam, but she liked to look nice for him, and that included even her toes. But then, she had to remember, from now on he'd be seeing her all the time, whether she looked nice or not. It was both comforting and awkward, really, to realize that he would now know everything there was to know about her, all those subtle things that seemed too unimportant to mention. He'd see everything she normally did when she was alone, because from now on, she wouldn't ever be alone again. Now, until they died, he'd always be with her.

With that, she looked over at him, watching his blue eyes focus intently upon the road, his slender, strong hands gripping the steering wheel. And just from that glance, she knew she'd made the right decision.

- - -

"Are you sure you looked at the map?"

It was nearing seven in the evening and they were lost. Lilly had taken the wheel sometime near noon with Sam's trust that if he slept, she'd be able to find the way back to the interstate from the diner they'd left around four. By five she still hadn't found it, waking him to ask for help, and they'd spent all the time since trying to figure out exactly where she'd gotten them.

"Sam, you watched me look at it while we ate at the restaurant," Lilly sighed, turning onto what looked like a main street. But then, they'd spent a good half hour exploring the backstreets that twisted through expansive cattle pastures, so a main street would look just the same as the rest. Not that she'd admit it to herself, of course, as she was determined to get them back out onto a road they recognized.

"Well I'm just asking, Lilly," he replied sharply. She really couldn't blame him for getting angry. "I knew I just should have kept driving."

"Right, so you could have fallen asleep at the wheel and gotten us killed? At least when you're lost, you can eventually find your way back - there's no coming back from the dead, you know."

"God, aren't there any street names out here?"

"What would you suggest they call these streets? Cattle Lane and Cattle Road?"

"Damnit, Lilly, the sarcasm is not necessary right now." He was attempting to find where they were on the map, holding it all the way open on the passenger side, glancing up to catch sight of any kind of sign or billboard.

"Don't swear at me. And the attitude isn't necessary right now, either. We'll find it, Sam, just be patient."

They were speaking rather calmly to one another; it wasn't much of a fight or argument. Still, Lilly knew that he was irritated, and her own frustration was beginning to build. They seemed to be surrounded by the same grassy fields for miles on end, as though the entire farming industry was trying to swallow them whole. On each side of the car stood cows and horses among the endless grass, peering out at the car from behind their fences as if they'd never seen such a thing. And they probably hadn't, Lilly realized, as anyone would have to be insane to intentionally drive through such a huge, dull place.

"Look, there's a sign for a truck route," Sam said, pointing out to the side. Sure enough, up in the distance stood a feeble, ramshackle wooden sign with the words "Truck Route - Left in 15 miles" painted on its boardface. "We'll be able to find the state road from there."

Lilly nodded, feeling relieved. For some reason, though, she got the feeling she wouldn't stay that way for long.

- - -

"Where the hell are we?" Lilly sighed sharply, turning the key to shut off the car as she leaned back in her seat, bringing her fingertips to her temples. "This is absolutely ridiculous. We took the turn .. we've driven for half an hour, and this sure as hell doesn't look like a truck route. And what is _this_?"

Sam had become too impatient and frustrated to even speak now as they both looked out to the iron gate in front of which they'd just parked. It was getting close to seven o'clock, the sun already beginning to sink into the horizon, and they'd finally come to a dead end after following the road they'd assumed the sign had indicated as the truck route. Gradually, the area surrounding the road had become devoid of horses or cows or grass; rather, it became rather woodsy, reminding them both of the woods from where they had left home just the very night before. And the road finally brought them to where they sat, in front of an old gate that seemed to be falling apart.

"I think I see buildings further down through here," Lilly said, squinting her eyes to gaze past the gate. "I think .. thank God, Sam, it's a town."

"Are you serious?" he replied, sitting forward to see. There were buildings, far off in the distance, hazy with an early evening fog that he assumed was brought on by the twilight hours. It was impossible to make out the forms of people, though, with the great distance, but he detected the shapes of tombstones in the area that lie between the town and the gate at which they'd stopped the car."Don't like the looks of the cemetary."

"You don't like cemeteries period," she replied, looking at him. "The point is, this is the first town we've come across in a good three hours. We should at least check in to see about directions."

"What about the car? We can't bring that through there, the gate's locked."

"We'll leave it here, I'll just park it alongside the road."

"Great, we can get all our stuff stolen while we walk through a graveyard. Sounds like a lot of fun."

Without replying, Lilly started the engine again, backing the car up just a bit and turning the wheel, pivoting it so it sat parallel with the road, shutting it off again. They both got out, closing the doors behind them, and approached the gate which stood taller than either of them. Strangely enough, though, the cemetery was surrounded by a two-plank board fence, which they easily climbed over, much to Sam's chagrin; graveyards were bad enough, but climbing a fence to get into one? Still, he knew better than to argue with her, and she did have a point. It was odd, though, that this town was in the middle of nowhere, and that the entrance was blocked by a gated graveyard. It made him suspect that they didn't exactly appreciate tourists or visitors .. not that he was going to mention it to Lilly at this point. They'd come this far, after all.


	3. Illusion

'kay, before anyone makes a nasty review or sends me an e-mail informing me of my impending damnation, I did not include the religious part of this chapter to upset people, nor am I saying that these beliefs are mine (though, I'm also not saying that they aren't). Since the beginning of the series, Silent Hill has included numerous religious ideas and passages to add a certain element to the story of each game. The last thing I need is to have atheists e-mailing me, complaining about how it was unnecessary to add religous references within a fanfic, or to have devout Christians saying that my interpretations of the Bible are wrong and that Satan is going to own my soul, yadayadayada .. Newsflash: What's written within this piece of _fiction_ is not my interpretation of the Bible, nor does it necessarily reflect my personal religious beliefs. And even if were and/or did, holy cow, it's a free country. Kthnx.

(Sorry to those of you who have open minds and don't really care to make a fuss when it comes to such matters.)

Thanks. Enjoy.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I l l u s i o n

The graveyard was as nice as any could be; freshly cut flowers were set before every grave, some with little notes and tiny stuffed animals, and grand willow trees seemed to shield them with their long, billowy canopies. It seemed as though the fog and diminishing sunlight of the evening's hour were the only things that made it seem like a believable cemetary - if they'd come in the morning, Lilly doubted that she'd recognize even the tombstones for themselves.

"Lilly," came Sam's voice, and she glanced up to see him a short distance ahead of her. "Come on, I don't want to be stuck in this place after dark."

Turning her head once more, she looked back to what had captured her attention and stopped her trek. An angel stood beside her, towering over her by a good three feet, hands outstretched to each side with the palms turned skyward, as if waiting for salvation to pour from the heavens and into her hands. The wings, chipped and eroded, the left missing the entire bottom tip, were unfurled, ready to take flight. But the eyes were what had transfixed Lilly, wide and gazing down into the grave above which the statue was erected, seeming to look into the hidden eyes of the dead. Those eyes saw what she could not see, right through the earth, into the very soul of the one who'd been buried right under her feet, and Lilly could just imagine the angel lifting the individual's soul from their body, right up into Heaven, offering it to the Lord. Right then, at that very moment, she stood over one of His lambs, one of the Chosen people that lived so purely that an angel could anoint their soul right after death. This person, she knew, must have lived so greatly that everyone else knew of their future in the afterlife, and that was why they'd placed such a statue over their grave. Maybe it had been a pastor? Or perhaps just a simple, everyday person that had been an avid church-goer?

"Lilly!"

With a double-take, Lilly tore her gaze from the statue and jogged over to Sam, who had stopped his forward progress to turn and wait for her, and she could tell as she approached that he'd been watching her. It puzzled him, she knew, to witness her fixation with an angel statue in the middle of a graveyard at dusk. It would anyone, to be sure, but Sam was sensible, down-to-earth, and, most of all, he tended to worry a great deal. To ease his discomfort, she smiled softly and gave a little kiss to his cheek, taking his hand within her own, and they continued through the cemetary.

- - -

They'd found the Lakeside Hotel within an hour, taking a few moments to stand and look out over the lake at Lilly's request. The moon was in the process of crossing the horizon, looking whole as its upper half reflected in the lake's water, waveless and still, like glass. Finally, with his hand pressed gently to the small of Lilly's back, Sam turned them both towards the door of the hotel, ushering her through and following after. The main lobby was dimly lit with a single lamp set atop the counter, behind which sat a slumbering, balded, elderly man with a large, dark grey tabby curled comfortably in his lap. Glancing over at Sam for the go-ahead, Lilly reached her hand forward to firmly tap her knuckles against the countertop, jumping back in surprise at the cat instantly awoke and looked up at her with one green eye and one black, empty socket.

"Jesus," Sam exhaled, bringing his arm comfortingly about Lilly's shoulders, his concern for her growing as they both peered at the feline, who had stopped paying any attention to them and placed its head down again, settling back to sleep. The girl's knee-jerk reaction to the animal had startled him more than the animal itself, and he couldn't really understand why it had unnerved her - it was just a cat, after all. "You okay?"

"I just .. wasn't expecting that," she replied, regaining her composure, more than a little embarrassed, instantly recognizing the fact that Sam hadn't seen what she had within that void where an eyeball was supposed to be - and just as instantly recognizing the fact that he would be even more worried if she said anything about it, so she remained silent.

"Excuse me," Sam called gently to the man, keeping his arm securely wrapped around Lilly as he rapped his own knuckles on the wood. Unlike Lilly, he didn't notice that this time, the cat didn't stir.

The man's eyes slowly opened and he looked up at them for a moment, lifting a hand to scratch at his nose before sitting upright, straightening his black vest and grabbing a pen from the countertop. "Evening, youngin's, how can I help you?"

"We'd like to book a room, if you have any available," Sam replied, taking a pair of twenty dollar bills from his pocket, too busy to notice that Lilly was still staring at the sleeping cat.

To her, though, the cat was wide awake - he'd never gone back to sleep - and staring at her with its one eye, the left socket wide and empty, a dark abyss that was drawing her closer, _in_. It was growing, leaving the cat behind, creeping towards her to swallow her whole .. With a blink of her eyes, it was an empty socket again, within the head of a feline that was lazily licking its paw. Simple and harmless enough, she thought, until she noticed the droplets of blood dripping from the claws ..

"Lilly? Come on," came Sam's voice, and she could feel his palm on her shoulder, his fingertips gripped comfortingly upon her collarbone. He was leading her away, down towards the room he'd booked for them, and she was walking along with him before she could even consider it, and as they turned the corner into the side corridor, she glanced back over to the cat.

He was curled up in the man's lap, sleeping.

- - -

"You should probably get ready for bed while I get the stuff from the car."

The room was quaint, though small, with a large window granting visage of the lake just beyond. Lilly was sitting on the bed, her hands pressed down onto the soft duvet, as Sam grabbed the room key from the top of the television and turned to the door.

"Wait," she said, looking over to him, and he turned with his hand on the doorknob. "It's getting dark .. Let's wait until tomorrow and go get it together. I don't like the thought of you going all the way out there alone at night."

"I don't like the thought of somebody stealing everything we own," he replied flatly, but she could see in his tired eyes that her concern touched him.

"Come to bed, we'll get it in the morning." Reaching out her hand, she watched him hesitate, mentally weighing the possible consequences of leaving their belongings out in the car all night long outside a strange town. Within a moment, though, his exhaustion and her care for his well-being won the battle and he strode over to her, setting the keys back on the television and dropping to his knees before her, resting his head against her chest as she brought her arms around him.

Stroking her hands down his back, Lilly gently pulled his shirt up the length of his torso and off his arms as he leaned back and raised them, dropping the garment to the floor. Slowly, he unbuttoned her blouse, letting it fall to meet his shirt, and they both slid up on the bed, lips together as their hands undressed one another the rest of the way. Keeping his arms about her and kissing her deeply, Sam entered her, the first time since they'd lost their viginities. And despite the sweetness of his skin and the pleasure of their union, all Lilly could smell was the scent of blood.


End file.
